Bearing mounting for lawn mower cutter blades



Jan. 2, 1951 J. WINCHELL 2,536,481

BEARING MOUNTING FOR LAWN MOWER CUTTER BLADES Original Filed May 28, 1947 35 Fig.

Laurence J. Winchell INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 2, 1951 BEARING MOUNTING FOR LAWN MOWER CUTTER BLADES Laurence J. Winchell, Fort Scott, Kans.

Original application May 28, 1947, Serial No. 750.915. Divided and this application October 7, 1949, Serial No. 124,764

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in lawn mowers of the type disclosed in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,259,676, datedOctober 21, l9 =1,wherein there is provided a motor driven elongated cutting blade which rotates about a vertical axis beneath a wheeled platform, and is a division of my copending application, Serial N 0. 750,915, filed May 28, 1947, and now matured into Patent No. 2,484,201 of October 11, 1949.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means for mounting the shaft of the cutting blade so as to effectively brace the same in a truly vertical position and to provide for vertical adjustment thereof so as to vary the distance between the cutting blade and the ground and thereby regulate the height at which the grass or other growth is cut relative to the ground.

A further object of the invention is to provide the mower with an improved form of handle and means for vertically adjusting the rear or hand grip portion thereof to suit the requirements of the particular person using the lawn mower.

A still further object is to provide an improved cutter shaft lubricating means.

And a final object of the invention to be specifically enumerated herein, is to effect a dirt seal between the cutter blade assembly and the lower end of the vertical housing.

The exact nature of the present invention, as well as more specific objects and features thereof, will become apparent from the following description When considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation view, partly broken away and in section, of a lawn mower constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly in section on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View in vertical section showing more clearly the lubricating structure.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates a horizontal elongated sheet metal platform which is stamped or pressed to have integral front wheel guards 6-, depending side and end flanges I, and an upwardly dished portion 8 intermediate the ends and midway between the sides of the platform. The rear end of the platform is supported by co-aXial rear wheels 9, while the front end of the platform is supported by co-axial front wheels ID as disclosed in my abovementioned patent. Suitable guards for the rear wheels 9 as indicated at I l.

Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the underside of platform 5 coincident with the upwardly dished portion 8 of the latter is a downwardly dished sheet metal disk l2 of a. form and size similar to the dished portion 8. The portion 8 and disk I2 have central vertically aligned openings through which extend a vertical supporting sleeve I3, the sleeve I3 snugly fitting the openings and being welded to the portion 8 and disk I2 as indicated at is. The sleeve I3 is thus effectively braced in a truly vertical position so as to provide a rigid durable construction that effectively resists displacement of the sleeve I3 from its truly vertical position. Snugly fitted in the lower portion of the sleeve It for vertical sliding adjustment therein is a second shorter sleeve I5 having a ball bearing 56 mounted in the lower shouldered portion thereof. A further ball bearing IT is mounted in the upper shouldered end portion of the longer outer sleeve I3, and the latter is provided at a point between the bearing I1 and the upper end of sleeve I5 with a grease fitting I8 to facilitate the introduction of lubricant within said sleeves I3 and I 5, whereby to keep the bearings I6 and I! effectively lubricated in a manner to be set forth hereinafter.

A shaft I9 extends through the sleeves I3 and I5 and has the inner races of the bearings I6 and Il secured thereon to turn therewith. .Adjustably threaded on the upper end portion of shaft I9 is a nut member or collar 25! on which the inner race of the upper bearing H is secured as by a press fit. The collar 20 has apertures 2I for engagement by a suitable tool for holding the nut member 28 against turning, and whereby simultaneously rotating shaft iii, the latter may be vertically adjusted therein.

Secured on the projecting lower end of shaft I 9 between a pair of clamping plates 22, and whose adjacent surfaces are respectively concaved and convexed as shown in an exaggerated manner in Figure 2, by means of a clamping nut 23, is an elongated cutting blade 24. It will thus be seen that by adjusting shaft I8 vertically in the nut 20, the distance of the cutting blade 24 from the ground may be varied to cut the growth or grass at a selected height above the ground. The uppermost plate 22 is of sufiicient diameter to overlap or cover and shield the lower end of sleeve I5 to prevent grass or dirt entering the bearing.

Suitable grease retainers are provided at 25 collar and acts as a lock nut therefor.

within th tube It above bearing I! and within the tube l5 below the bearing it. These retainers are of identical construction and. as shownv in Figure 3, includes packing member 25, a washer 38 and a split retaining ring seated in an annular groove in the two sleeves.

Adjustably threaded on the projecting upper portion of shaft I9 is a pulley 26 which may be screwed down upon the shaft until it abuts the When so locked, the pulley becomes a driving means for rotating the shaft. By unscrewing the pulley, the collar 29 is released and the shaft is free to rotate relative to the supporting collar. A suitable knob or handle 28 is removably secured upon the upper end of shaft is for use in turning the latter when effecting its vertical adjustment, the pulley being released as above mentioned. An endless belt 29 passes around the pulley and also around a pulley an secured on the drive shaft of a motor or engine 3| which is mounted on the rear portion of platform 5. Thus, the motor or engine 3! is used to drive the cutting blade 24 While the lawn mower is pushed ahead during the mowing operation. Such motor or engine may be suitably controlled to regulate the speed of rotation of the cutting blade while the mower is in use. The cutting blade 24 is provided with suitable cutting edges at opposite sides of opposite ends thereof, and it is preferably of slightly upwardly bowed form as shown, this flexing or bowing of the blade being assisted by the above described concave and convex surface of the nuts 22.

An upwardly and rearwardly extending handlebar 32 is attached to the platform 5 adjacent each side of the latter, and the intermediate portion of each handle-bar is connected with the rear end of the platform 5 by means of a brace 33. Each handle-bar has a downwardly directed forward end portion 35 which is bolted through the platform 5 as at 35 in front of the rear wheels 9. By adjusting the length of the brace 33, the associated handle-bar 32 may be flexed vertically so as to adjust the height of the rear or hand grip portion 36 of said handle relative to the ground to suit the particular requirements of the particular person using the lawn mower. The handle-bars may be connected or braced near their rear ends as generally taught in my above-mentioned patent, the connecting cross member or brace being denoted by dotted lines at 31 in Figure 1.

Assuming that the cutting blade 24 is in the raised position shown in the drawing, and that it is desired to adjust the same downwardly, the pulley 26 is adjusted upwardly by rotating the same while holding the shaft l9 stationary thereby releasing the collar 263 for rotation on shaft !9. A suitable tool is inserted through an aperture 49 of sleeve l3 and engaged in bores 2| of collar 20 to secure the latter against rotation. The shaft I9 isthen rotated relative to nut member or collar 23 so as to adjust the shaft l9 downwardly to the required distance. The pulley 26 is then tightened into locking engagement with collar 28 so that the cutting blade is maintained in the required adjusted position relative to the ground. A reversal of this operation willof course e'ifect a desired elevation of the cutter '25 from a lowered adjusted position.

As shown best in Figure 3 the sleeve l3 has an internal shoulder 4i upon which the outer race of bearing H seats and is retained by the engagement of the seal-mg means above set forth. A plate 42 preferably of aluminum or the like is snugly fitted in the bore of sleeve I3 immediately below the bearing I1, and has an enlarged central opening 45 loosely surrounding shaft l9 in spaced relation thereto.

The plate 42 has an internally threaded bore 53 which receives the threaded end of the grease fitting [8, thereby securing the plate in position. An upwardly inclined passage 4d intersects passage 33 thereby establishing communication between the fitting !8 and the space between the baiiie or plate 42 and the bearing.

Grease supplied to fitting I8 therefore is first applied to upper bearing l1 and thence is supplied by hole 45 to the lower bearing.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minor changes are contemplated such as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I. claim is: V

I. In a lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a second bearing assembly carried by said member, a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies, driving means on said shaft for rotating the same, means for axially adjustingsaid shaft relative to said driving means and to one of said bearing assemblies.

2. In a lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a second bearing assembly carried by said member, a shaft journaled in aid bearing assemblies,'driving means on said shaft for rotating the same, means for axially adjusting said shaft relative to said driving means and to one of said bearing assemblies, said member constituting 'a second sleeve.

3. Ina lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a

second bearing assembly carried by said member,

a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies,'

driving means on said shaft for rotating the same,

means for axially adjusting said shaft relative to 4. In a lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing 4 assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof. a

second bearing assembly carried by said member, a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies, driving means on said shaft for rotating the same, means for axially adjusting said shaft relative to said driving means and to one of said bearing assemblies, said second bearing assembly being non-slidably but rotatably secured to said shaft and to said member.

5. In a lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a second bearing assembly carried by said memher, a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies, driving means on said shaft for rotating the same, means for axially adjusting said shaft relative to said driving means and to one of said bearing assemblies, said'first-mentioned bearing assembly being non-slidably secured to 'said sleeve and slidable upon said shaft.

6. Ina lawn mower,a sleeve having a bearingassembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a second bearing assembly carried by said member, a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies, driving means on said shaft for rotating the same, mean for axially adjusting said shaft relative to said driving means and to one of said bearing assemblies, said first-mentioned bearing assembly being non-slidably secured to said sleeve and slidable upon said shaft, said adjusting means comprising a threaded portion on said shaft, a collar adjustable upon said threaded portion and fixedly secured to said first-mentioned bearing assembly, means for non-rotatably locking said collar to said shaft.

7. In a lawn mower, a sleeve having a bearing assembly carried by one end thereof and a member slidably carried by the other end thereof, a second bearing assembly carried by said member, a shaft journaled in said bearing assemblies, a pulley on said shaft for rotating the same, means for axially adjusting said shaft relative to said pulley and to one of said bearing assemblies, said first-mentioned bearing assembly being nonslidably secured to said sleeve and slidable upon said shaft, said adjusting means comprising a threaded portion on said shaft, a collar adjustable upon said threaded portion and fixedly se- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,335,040 Burrows Mar. 30, 1920 1,642,068 Hart Sept. 13, 192? 2,210,217 Kahn Aug. 26, 1940 2,221,457 Pope et a1 Nov. 12, 1940 2,485,984 Newman Oct. 25, 1949 

